________________
A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
423
ous births. Men worship gods and pray to them for the sake of getting themselves away from the evil effects of karma and rebirth. In the Vedic samhitās, there is a description of sancita and prārabdha karma. There is also the description that those who do good karmas go to brahmalɔka through the devayana and those who have sadhārņa karma go to candraloka through pitryana. It has also been described that the jiva due to its karma takes different forms in the different births like a tree or a creeper etc. It is clear from the following mantras "mā vo bhujemānya jātameno”, mã vo enɔ anyakṛtam bhujema" etc. It has also been suggested that one can reep the fruits of karma gained by others through their activities. Therefore, these mantras have been recited. Primarily, a jīva experiences the fuits of karma due to the activities performed by oneself, but sometimes through a peculiar influence of a peucliar power, one jiva can experience the fruits of the karma of the other jiva.1
From the discussion of the two views regarding the development of the karma theory in the Vedic literature, it may be noted that there has not been a full fledged discussion of the developed theory of karma in the Vedic literature, although there is mention of the concept of karma. But the concepts like theory of Fate and yajña have gained prominence and karma theory becomes secondary. We do not get adequate discussion about the nature of karma and the mechanism of the working of the karma. In the Vedic literature, there is emphasis on yajna karma and gradually gods have been invoked for the sake of cquitable distribution of karma. Attempts have also been made to integrate karma theory with the theory of yajña; This we find in the Pūrvamīmāmsa. We also find that the development of the yājña theory has also led to the development of the devavada (theory of deities). In the Brāhmaṇas we find a gradual substitution of Prajapati in the place of many gods and there is suggestion that the dispensation of karma is done through Prajapati. Prajapati dispenses fruits according to different karmas acquired by individual beings, just like
1 (a) Bharatiya darśana: Umseha Misra, p. 39-41 (b) Jaina Dharma aur Darsana, p. 432
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
